JOHOR BARU: Seat negotiations for the coming six state elections should reflect the spirit of the unity government, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
“The togetherness spirit of the unity government should be translated in the seat negotiations.”
He said the seat negotiations would be a real test for the unity government, which is a grand coalition with many parties under its umbrella.
“For now, I have yet to receive any signal on seat negotiations from Barisan Nasional or the grand coalition as a whole.
“I was made to understand that the (negotiation) process is ongoing at the division and state levels, but at the central level, we have yet to be included,” he told reporters during a buka puasa event with the media.
Dr Wee was asked about Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s remarks on Saturday that Barisan and Pakatan have agreed that parties which won seats during the last general election will contest them again in the upcoming state polls.
According to him, this consensus was agreed upon during preliminary discussions between Pakatan and Barisan.
Dr Wee, in reference to Saifuddin’s comments, said: “It now involves a grand coalition as the unity government has about 20 parties with different logos supporting them.”
He said the negotiation process should be allowed to take place.
“For now, there is yet to be a final say on the time for negotiation to take place.
“At times like this, no one has any target (for the number of seats).
“The situation is different compared with previously, as there are no longer traditional seats in the allocation,” he said when asked whether MCA is targeting any number of seats in the elections.
He said MCA is prepared to wait for negotiations to take place.
“Umno just had its elections and the party also just saw the formation of new state liaison committees. Everything is still at the early stages,” he said, adding that a decision needed to be made after the Hari Raya celebrations.
“Whatever it is, we need to wait as the negotiation process has to take place first,” he said.
On a separate matter, Dr Wee said that Umno’s move to seek a royal pardon for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is nothing out of the ordinary and is constitutional.
“Any individual that is put behind bars has the right to seek a royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“This case in no different. We need to respect the rights of any inmates and the move is also in line with the Constitution,” he said.
He said that MCA members are free to have their own views on the matter.
“As a democratic party, we cannot stop them from having their own views,” he said.
The Umno supreme council had last Friday said that it would be seeking an audience with the King to present an application to consider a royal pardon for Najib.
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